HONOR DUE...MOTHERHOOD

Children, obey your parents in the Lord,
for this is right.
Honor your father and mother (which
is the first commandment with a promise),
so that it may be well with you, and
that you may live long on the earth.
Ephesians 6:1-3

Motherhood began with Eve, although it actually began in the heart of God way back in eternity. We don't know about her motherhood, but do know because of sin, the family situation was changed forever. We don't know what it would have been precisely had perfection God intended been in place. Childbirth for one thing would be a painful experience for Eve and every mother to follow.

I've thought of some Bible mom's who have impressed me in some ways. Sarah wanted so much to be a mom, but the years caught up with her and any possibility of being a mother. I'm thinking of some friends who wanted so much to be moms, but it seemed it just wasn't happening. Some in their 40's found God blessed them with a baby. Just as for Sarah, motherhood became a reality and with great appreciation.

There was Hannah...a remarkable woman. She too wanted a baby so badly, but it just wasn't happening. Her hubby's other wife made fun of her for not being able to bear a child. Even her hubby said something that always makes me smile. He said to the effect that wasn't he better than having several children. How like a man saying something like that even though he might have been sincere in his intentions. Hannah made it all a matter of prayer and God answered her, giving her a son, Samuel, who grew to be a great man of spiritual influence.

Jochabed is a woman I have long admired for endangering her own life in order to spare her baby son Moses from certain death. Boy babies were being massacred, but she had a plan for saving her son by hiding him in a waterproof basket hidden in the reeds of a river. God's plans always amaze me, plans you and I would never begin to think of. Moses was spared by the Egyptian princess who even ended up using Jochabed as Moses' nurse until he came of age beyond the nursing process. We all know how God used Moses years later. He had a faithful mom who maybe didn't have much input into his growing up years, but still gave him the best start she could.

There are other moms in Scripture we can admire. I think of Mary, Jesus' mother and His aunt Elizabeth who gave birth to His cousin a little before his own. We read of Timothy's mother and grandmother who raised and nurtured him in the Scriptures. There are so many wonderful women we can look at in Scripture who too were moms of note.

BUT, this is now. Many mothers today of every age look back with varied feelings, some with joy and others with regret. No matter how good a mother has been through the years, there has never been a perfect mother. Sin came through Adam and Eve and from that point, motherhood has always been a struggle even under the best of circumstances. Satan works on every mother who is or ever has been just as he did with Eve, tempting and taunting. The best of godly mothers often struggle with all they didn't do or should have done when in reality, they did a pretty good job mothering their children into loving, productive adults.

I have a list of moms I admire tremendously. There are the single moms who have been left alone to raise and see to the needs of her children. Some moms could not physically give birth, but chose to adopt babies or children of various ages. I know moms who are raising their special needs children and along with that are moms who sit at the side of their child's bedside, a child with terminal brain tumor. Some have found their children addicted on drugs or alcohol which is a whole different heartache. I know of ladies of age right now who never gave birth, but who mothered girls in their Sunday school classes through years of service.

Motherhood has come in a variety of packages....as many packages as there are mothers. We who are moms have been granted the privilege of being just that...moms. What a privilege and honor. For some, there may have been heartache. We all as moms have made our share of mistakes. I have never in my life met a perfect mom, but with God's help, we have hopefully done our very best, and yes, hopefully we've done a lot of smiling in the whole process.

I read a quote and find it so true: “Life doesn't come with a manual, it comes with a mother.”
Mothers don't know everything but we have a Heavenly Father who does. Blessed are the children who have had a godly mom who loves them as only a mom can. For those of us who are moms...what a privileged calling from God to be used of Him in serving Him in this area of motherhood.

Thank You Father for my mother, my husband's mom and my three children who call me mom. Forgive the mistakes, wrong attitudes at time, shortness in patience that I probably share with other moms. Thank You for this call on my life. In Jesus' name...Amen